1. Field of the Invention PA1 (a) neosilicates (island silicates) such as, for example, phenakite, olivine and zircon; PA1 (b) sorosilicates (group silicates) such as, for example, thortveitite and hemimorphite; PA1 (c) cyclosilicates (ring silicates) such as, for example, benitoite, axinite, beryl, milarite, osumilite or eudialyte; PA1 (d) inosilicates (chain and band silicates) such as, for example, metasilicates (for example diopside) or amphiboles (for example tremolite); PA1 (e) phyllosilicates (sheet and layer silicates) such as, for example, talc, kaolinite and mica (for example muscovite); PA1 (f) tectosilicates (framework silicates) such as, for example, feldspars and zeolites and clathrasils or dodecasils (for example melanophlogite), thaumasite and neptunite. PA1 R is a hydrocarbon radical containing 6 to 28 carbon atoms, PA1 u and v may be the same or different and stand for numbers of 0 to 30, u being 0 where v is 0, PA1 w is a number of 1 to 30, the sum of u+v+w being .ltoreq.30, PA1 x,y and z independently of one another are the numbers 0 or 1, PA1 R' nnand R" independently of one another represent hydrogen, methyl or ethyl, the sum of x+y+z being &gt;0 where R'.dbd.R".dbd.H, PA1 M is an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal (=ether carboxylate) or hydrogen (=ether carboxylic acid). PA1 R is linear or branched, acyclic or cyclic, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic, preferably a linear or branched, acyclic C.sub.6-22 alkyl or alkenyl group or a C.sub.1-22 alkyl phenyl group, more particularly a C.sub.8-18 alkyl or alkenyl group or a C.sub.4-16 alkyl phenyl group, more preferably a CO.sub.10-16 alkyl group, PA1 u,v,w in the sum u+v +w is prieferably a number of 2 to 20, more preferably a number of 3 to 17 and most preferably a number of 5to 15, PA1 x,y,z in the sum x+y+z is preferably no greater than 2, more preferably no greater than 1 and most preferably 0, PA1 R' and R"are preferably hydrogen (.dbd.R'), methyl (.dbd.R") or methyl (.dbd.R'), hydrogen (.dbd.R") and PA1 M is, in particular, lithium, sodium, potassium, calcium or magnesium, of which potassium and especially sodium are preferred.
This invention relates generally to bleaching agents and disinfectants and, more particularly, to active chlorine preparations containing optical brighteners in microencapsulated form.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In Mediterranean countries and also in the United States, cold water is still predominantly used for washing laundry. The effect of this is that conventional bleaching agents, for example perborates or percarbonates, are hardly used because they do not develop any particular activity at temperatures around 20.degree. C. For this reason, liquid bleaches--generally surface--active preparations containing up to 10% by weight of hypochlorite--are normally added to the wash liquor. Comparable preparations are also used for cleaning and disinfecting hard surfaces. An overview of hypochlorite liquors was published, for example, by J. Josa and M. Osset in Jorn. Corn. Esp. Deterg. 27, 213 (1997).
To counteract the yellowing of laundry, optical brighteners are added to the bleaching compositions. These auxiliaries are absorbed onto the fibers and convert invisible UV radiation into visible longer-wave light. The ultraviolet light absorbed from sunlight is re-emitted in the form of pale bluish fluorescence, i.e. in the complementary color to the yellowing. The optical brighteners used are generally dyes which are readily oxidized in a chlorine-containing environment and, as a result, lose their properties.